Everyone has a reputation.\u00a0 Through our actions and interactions over time, we build a reputation that defines and eventually precedes us; whether for good or for bad.\u00a0 Most people really don\u2019t know what their own reputation is, and you may even doubt you have one.\u00a0 Let me assure you – you do!<\/p>\n
Spend a minute going through your mental Rolodex and think of one relative, one friend, and one colleague.\u00a0 As you go through this exercise, jot down the first adjective that comes to mind that identifies their reputation.\u00a0 You may characterize some acquaintances as having some fairly common reputations; perfectionist, cynic, unreliable, or even a risk-taker.\u00a0 Many people have one defining reputation, and a few ancillary ones as well.<\/p>\n
As easy as it probably was for you to quickly peg someone else\u2019s reputation, you might find yourself equally stumped about your own.\u00a0 Perhaps you think you couldn\u2019t possibly have a reputation.\u00a0 Think again.\u00a0 You have a reputation that precedes you in the workplace, and others can identify it just as easily as you did in the above exercise.<\/p>\n
The nuts and bolts of a good business or career reputation are not too difficult to surmise; being on time or early for work, a positive attitude, a strategic thinker, problem solver, a good work ethic, being a team player, even having someone\u2019s back, doing \u2018whatever it takes\u2019, etc.\u00a0 All the things that make us like others, or working with them, are qualities that build a good reputation.\u00a0 Take a few minutes to inventory your strengths, and since you aren\u2019t broadcasting your answers, be real about your gifts.\u00a0 Are you a great public speaker, an analytical thinker, good deal maker, key negotiator, master task executer?<\/p>\n
While that may have been easy, figuring out what blemishes may reside on your reputation is quite another endeavor.\u00a0 People usually fall into three categories during this exercise.\u00a0 Some people name their shortcomings with proficiency and ease, even adding disparaging qualities or inadequacies that are not merited.\u00a0 The second group of people have some idea of where they lack skill, knowledge or savvy.\u00a0 Then there is the group that thinks they are free and clear of any faults, blemishes or failings whatsoever.<\/p>\n
A bad or blemished reputation is a mixture of actions, inactions and poorly reflecting behaviors.\u00a0 The tough part is coming to grips with the reality that you may need to do some damage control.\u00a0 So, what causes blemishes on a reputation?\u00a0 Below is a list to get you thinking:<\/p>\n
Unmet promises.<\/strong>\u00a0 Examples include delivering an assignment late, not showing up for a meeting, poor contribution to a project, or consistently delivering low quality work.<\/p>\n Poor follow up<\/strong>.\u00a0 Are you non-responsive to emails, voice mails or meeting requests?\u00a0 Do you recap meetings or provide project updates with regularity and on time?\u00a0 After submitting a proposal, do you follow up with your client to clarify questions or cost?\u00a0 Follow up and follow through shows others that you can carry work through to a successful completion.<\/p>\n Lateness.<\/strong>\u00a0 Are you on time for meetings and work in the morning?\u00a0 Do you take a 1-hour lunch, or push the limit and take extra time more often than not?\u00a0 Being late tells others that you value your time over their time, agendas or activities.<\/p>\n Excuses and Whining.\u00a0<\/strong> Shirking responsibility and pointing the finger will quickly degrade your reputation.\u00a0 Complaining about your job responsibilities to others wastes both your time and theirs, and is completely unproductive.\u00a0 It also labels you as high-maintenance and someone to stay away from.\u00a0 Results speak louder than words of blame and excuses.<\/p>\n Being overwhelmed\/Dropping the ball.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Are you consistently frazzled by your workload?\u00a0 Do you respond with emotion and drama to your \u2018to-do\u2019 list versus handling it in a professional manner?\u00a0 This type of behavior often leads to dropping the ball with responsibilities because so much effort is spent on swirl and reaction that it steals time from productivity.\u00a0 If you fall into this category, come to my June 18 Equilibrium in High-Heels Workshop.\u00a0 You will leave with a full toolbox of techniques to successfully balance work and life. \u00a0 (See details and register here:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.highheeledsuccess.com\/events-20160618.html<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Interrupting.<\/strong>\u00a0 Whether in meetings, on the phone, one-on-one, or butting in on someone\u2019s conversation, this pet peeve can create a huge black mark on your reputation.\u00a0 Interrupting causes others to lose their train of thought, can convey a \u2018know-it-all attitude\u2019, and tells others that you are not listening.<\/p>\n Be a Leader, Not a Follower.\u00a0 <\/strong>Do you merely carry out the plans and projects assigned to you, or do you truly think about your work?\u00a0 The learning curve in a new role can be steep, and it\u2019s perfectly acceptable to execute tasks as assigned during this period.\u00a0 As you grow in your position, however, stagnating or doing the bare minimum will negatively affect your reputation.\u00a0 Leaders truly thing about the work at hand, how it will impact other initiatives and the future of the business.\u00a0 Leaders also anticipate outcomes, consequences, and new opportunities by looking at the big picture.\u00a0 Acting on these types of leadership thoughts by crafting a plan or proposal for consideration is definitely thinking like a leader and will reflect positively on your reputation.<\/p>\n Social Media Errors.\u00a0<\/strong> Last, but definitely not least are social media faux pas.\u00a0 Posting pictures or statuses about any of the following subjects should be done with the utmost discretion and prudence: alcohol, sex, religion, politics, dating, and opinions about your workplace.\u00a0 A picture enjoying a craft beer with a friend is fine.\u00a0 Posting pictures of heavy partying is not.\u00a0 Uploading a picture of you and your date at dinner is suitable.\u00a0 Posting about the private details of your dating life is not OK.\u00a0 Positive remarks about your company or one of its initiatives is fine, ranting about your boss is not.\u00a0 Hopefully, you get the idea.<\/p>\n Did some of these areas strike a chord with you, or create some self-awareness?\u00a0 If you think you need to do some damage control in any of these categories, it\u2019s time to put a plan together.\u00a0 To uncover the truth about your own reputation, you\u2019ll need to humbly enlist the help of others and be open to feedback and growth.\u00a0 Check out Kay\u2019s Corner (in the May 2016 newsletter) for a three-step action plan to rebuild or repair your reputation.<\/p>\n \u00a9Copyright 2016.\u00a0 Kay Fittes.\u00a0 All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Everyone has a reputation.\u00a0 Through our actions and interactions over time, we build a reputation that defines and eventually precedes us; whether for good or for bad.\u00a0 Most people really don\u2019t know what their own reputation is, and you may even doubt you have one.\u00a0 Let me assure you – you do! Spend a minute<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[3,4,17],"tags":[36,39,6,38],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Qkhe-4y","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=282"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":467,"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282\/revisions\/467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}